Task 1: Hugo Powell

We finally arrived at camp, and got off the bus. It was boiling outside. The teachers and instructors told us to put our bags by the campfire and make our way to the dining hall. I sat next to the only person I knew at the time, his name is Daniel Mallat. We were both new so we didn’t know anyone. After eating and drinking, the instructors came up and introduced themselves. If I could remember their names then I’d probably write them down, but to be honest that sort of stuff doesn’t stick in my mind for very long. Anyway, after the instructors introduced themselves, they told us to get into groups of four and go to a cabin. So Daniel and I stuck together but we needed two more people before we could go into a cabin. We found out that there were no more cabins left anyway and there was a group of kids who didn’t have a cabin. Some other kids came out and said that they had six beds instead of four. Then the instructors chose me and another kid called Jay to go in their cabin. This was just great. A cabin full of people who knew each other, and me who doesn’t know anyone at all!

So I walked in and put my bag under the bed. Then a boy named Roderick introduced himself and then he introduced me to the rest of the cabin. And as soon as I was finally settled in, we had to go to lunch. Roderick asked me to sit next to him. He pointed out some other people and told me their names. It was turning out quite well after all. But then we had to go to our activities, which I didn’t mind, except I only knew one kid in my group. So we went to our first activity which was the flying fox. I wasn’t really in the mood to do it so I sat down with a few of the other people who didn’t go on. There I met Alex Markezinis and Ben Shvarts. Our next activity was caving, which I wasn’t looking to forward to. I don’t like being in small areas for very long, but I did it anyway. It was really annoying because I couldn’t lift my head because my helmet kept hitting the ceiling. I was behind Jonathan Christianos and we made it to the end of the cave. Our instructor wanted us to go back in while he hid somewhere in the cave. But Jonathan and I had got enough grazes and scratches so we sat out with Mr. Mezimeris and Ben. Well anyway, they’re most of the people I met and the rest of the activities weren’t that great, except one. The giant swing.

It was the last day, everybody wanted to go home, but we still had a couple of activities left. And one I was looking forward to. Roderick told me that it was really fun and that I should definitely go to the top, which I was obviously going to do. So when we got to the area, our instructor showed us how to put on a harness (again) and how to use the swing safely. One person would be strapped on to a rope and the rest would have to pull the person up with another rope. Then the person on the swing would pull a chord and go flying. I think the swing was about fifteen meters. Well anyway, after pulling the rope heaps of times, it was finally my go. I was last. I wasn’t really nervous at all. I had watched everyone else do it and it didn’t look that high, but was I wrong! When I reached the top it looked so much higher.  I heard my instructor say “PULL!” and without thinking I pulled the chord. It felt like my stomach completely left my body. I was falling down, and then I went up, and then down, and then up. It was so cool. And after that we had rock climbing. But no one wants to hear about that, we all know what it is. So after our last activity, it was finally time to go home.